Policy

Ramapo College of New Jersey offers a College Honors Program serving the curricular and co-curricular aspirations of students seeking intellectual, creative, and moral engagement.

Reason for Policy

To set forth policy and procedures to offer an Honors Program at the College

To Whom Does The Policy Apply

To all prospective students applying to Ramapo College (whether as first-time students or transfer students), students accepted into the College Honors Program, and matriculated undergraduate students at Ramapo College who have completed their first semester at Ramapo. Qualified applicants will be invited to participate; a limited number of spots are available in the program.

Related Documents

College Honors Program website: https://www.ramapo.edu/honors

Contacts

Office of the Provost: 201-684-7532

Procedure

Ramapo College of New Jersey offers a College Honors Program serving the curricular and co-curricular aspirations of students seeking intellectual, creative and community engagement. The application procedure and requirements, information about acceptance into the Program, and minimum criteria to remain in the Program are provided below.

Application Requirements

Application for admission into the College Honors Program is a separate process from undergraduate admissions to Ramapo College, and any scholarship or special admission process. The College Honors Program shall consider both quantitative and qualitative measures in reviewing applications.

Students applying as new (first-year) students or as transfer students to Ramapo College may apply for admission to the College Honors Program as follows:

• In the college application, indicate that you wish to be considered for the College Honors Program.
• In the college application, complete the College Honors admission essay, by answering the question provided on the application form.
• Provide a sample of work that demonstrates your intellectual independence and curiosity pointing to promise for future scholarly or professional work.
• Transfer students only: You must also provide a letter of recommendation from a faculty member at your previous institution. (Note: Transfer students who participated in an Honors Program or Honors College at their previous institutions are much more likely to be accepted into the Ramapo College Honors Program than those who did not.)

Continuing students who just completed their first semester at Ramapo may also apply for admission to the College Honors Program as follows:

• Between December 1st and January 8th, send a completed Honors Admissions essay, one letter of recommendation from a Ramapo faculty member, and a sample of your academic work to honors@ramapo.edu. The essay prompt may be found at https://www.ramapo.edu/honors/applications/current-ramapo-students/.

Acceptance to the College Honors Program

Review of applications for candidates who will be selected to enter the College Honors Program the following September commences in December, and closes at the end of March, or when the cohort is complete. Qualified applicants will be invited to participate in an admission interview based on their application materials. Candidates selected for an interview will be notified on a rolling basis during this time. (New students applying to enroll at Ramapo College and in the College Honors Program in January are on a different timeline but, otherwise, follow the same procedure.)

Selected candidates will be interviewed by a two-member panel selected from the College Honors Advisory Board, Honors faculty, and/or the Director(s) of the College Honors Program, and staff. Applicants will be notified after the interview whether they are invited to join the College Honors Program. Those not accepted as part of this process are welcome to reapply at the end of their first semester at Ramapo College.

Continued Participation

To remain in the College Honors Program, students must:

• maintain a 3.0 or higher grade point average (GPA);
• complete all required Honors coursework;
• complete a senior project;
• be an engaged an active participant in Honors events; and
• uphold the standards of academic integrity and student conduct found in the Ramapo College Student Handbook.